Hose clamp



w. T. RUTLEDGE/ HOSE CLAMP Filad Dac. 10, 1923 Patented Oct. 13, 1925.

WILLIAM T. nUTLEneE, or sAN'rA ANA, onLIroItNIn.V

HOSE CLAMP.

Application led December 10, 1923. Serial No. 679,621.

To all?, whom t may concern:

Be it known that L'VILLIAM T. RUTLEDGE,

a citizen oi the United States, residing at Santa Ana, in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented new and useful improvements in Hose Clamps, ot which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clamping devices and it has particular application in the clamping of a hose or tube to a nipple, and is especially valuable for such use when applied to automobile engines.

An object of this invention is to provide a clamp of the above character which may be formed of wire and so constructed as to avoid gaps which would lead to pinching and consequent injury of the hose.

Another object is to provide a wire hose clamp which may be made from a single piece of wire, simple in structure, economical, and etlicient.

A further object of my present invention isv to provide a clamp which contains fastening means as an integral part of itself thereby avoiding the use o't an extra part such as a nut and bolt as fastening means.

Still another object ci this invention is to provide an arrangment in a wire hose clamp which will avoid any binding action during the adjustment of the clamp.

Other objects may be perceived from a reading of the following specification.

In carrying out my invention I employ a single length of wire bent into a ring form generally, but with one or more other bends ot a peculiar nature which make the device eiiective. My device will be more readily understood by reading the specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the clamp as formed with a double hose-engaging ring or annulus.

figure 2 is a perspective view of a modilied form of this invention.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of another moditied term ot the inven'on showing the clamp as 'formed otl a single hose-enclosing ring or annulus.

Referring now to Figure 1, it will be seen that for some distance from one end of the wire there is a straight portion 5 forming a tongue. it the inner end of the tongue 5 the wire is bent upward at 6 and downward at 7 forming a. curved bend or hump 8 transversely of the tongue 5, the inner radius oi curvature ot the hump being substantially the same as the radius oi' the wir used.

g The wire is again bent at 9 and the followlng portion bent on a circle making an open coil or ring l0, after which it is bent upwards at 11 and then brought into the horizontal plane at 12, and is made to pass transversely over the tongue 5, thus making a cross bar 13 in alignment with the hump 8. it 14. the wire is bent downward and at 15 is bent to the right and subsequently turned on a circle to form an open ring` or coil 17, the plane of which is substantially parallel to that of the coil 10. At 19 the wire is bent vertically upwards, then crossed over tongue 5 and downward at 20 and disposed between tongue 5 and coil 10, forming a curved bend or hump 21, the under curve ot which engages a section of the tongue 5. At point 23 the wire is bent into the horizontal plane and from that point to the end of the wire constitutes a straight tongue 25 which passes between the tongue 5 and the loop 10, under the cross bar 13 and engages the hump 8 on the lower curve of the latter.

In using the device shown in Figure 1 the device is slipped over a hose or tube. The device may then be tightened to the desired degree by applying opposing forces on the outer sides of humps 8 and 21 with a pincers, for example, whereupon the tongues 5 and 25 move through the humps in opposite directions and are guided thereby. After the device has been adjusted the ad justment may be made secure by bending the tongues 5 and 25 partially around the outer leg of the humpby which cach is engaged.

Passing now to Figure 2, it will be seen that the clamp, according to this modification, has a hook 28ly formed on a tongue 29 of the wire adjacent to it. The wire is turned in a clockwise direction on a circle to form a ring or coil 31, at the end 32 of which the wire is turned upwards and then bent to form a hump 33 passing transversely over, and in contact with, a portion of the coil 31. Adjacent to thel hump 33, a hump 34 is formed, at the end of which the wire is again bent in a clockwise direction on a circle to form a coil or ring 35, the wire passing under the hump 34 and being engaged thereby and extending to the right of the hump for some distance to 'form a lli tongue 36, the end portion 37 of which is doubled back on part of the tongue 36, forming a hooked tongue. Formed in the coils 3l and 35, in spaced relation to the humps 33 and 34, are humps 38 and 38", respectively. In adjusting the device shown in Figure 2 it is slipped over the tube or hose and may then be tightened by pullingthe hooked tongues 2S) and 36 outwardly from the coil until the desired tension is attained, or the device may be tightened to the desired degree by applying opposing forces on the outer sides oit the humps 33 and 38', as with pincers, in the same manner as in applying the device, shown in ligiue l. T he device may then be locked hy bend ing the tongues 29 and 36, respectively, partially around the outer legs of hunips 33 and 34.

Referring now to Figure 3, it will he seen that a single length oi wire has an end portion 39 doubled back on a part ot the tongue fil), the continuation otl which is formed into a ring lll. fit 4Q the wire is bent upward and then curved over the tongue l0 and in contacttherewith to forni a hump The ring 4l is 'formed with a hump als spaced from the hump 43. In fastening this device the hump i3 may be held in place and the tongue Lt() pulled outwardly from the coil until the desired tension is attained. or the humps 43 and Llll may be drawn together by means of pincers or the like. The clamp may then be locked by bending the tongue 4l() partially around any portion of the hump d3.

lVhile I have described my invention in several of its preferred forms, I do not wish to be limited by the constructions shown, but l desire that it be understood that my inventionis limitedin scope only by the appended claims.

l claiml. hose clamp comprising a single ength of wire bent to forni at least one 'ing and at least onehump and haring at east one hooked tongue formed by an end portion olf said wire, said tongue being enn gaged by the inner curve ofsaid hump.

2. A hose clamp comprisingl a single length or' wire bent to form a ring and a hump and havinga hooked tongue formed by an end portion of said wire, said tongue being engaged. by the inner curve of said hump and adapted to be wrapped at least partially around said hump.

3. A hose clamp comprising a single length ot wire having end portions forming` tongues, a hump adjacent the inner ends ot said tongues, said humps engaging said tongues, a portion of the wire intermediate said humps being wound into a plurality of coils having parallel planes and :disposed on oppositesides of said tongues, and connected b v a har passing between said humps.

VILLIAM T. RUTLEDGE. 

